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The surprise move leaves the policy rate at its highest level since 2019, and sent the Turkish currency to its strongest level since mid-July. The bank has raised its one-week repo rate (TRINT=ECI) by 1,650 basis points since June. The lira had touched new all-time lows almost daily in recent weeks, including in the minutes before the policy decision. The central bank said that rising oil prices and a deterioration in inflation expectations suggests that inflation will end the year at the upper bound of its forecasts. The central bank has also selectively tightened credit.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Piotr Matys, Dado Ruvic, Erdogan, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Osman Cevdet Akcay, Fatih Karahan, Hatice, Ezgi Erkoyun, Christina Fincher, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Analysts, Istanbul bourse, Touch, Turkey Lira, REUTERS, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Ankara

☆ Forest fire shuts down Turkey's Dardanelles Strait for maritime traffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Maritime traffic from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara has been suspended due to the ongoing forest fire in the Turkish northwestern province of Canakkale, the transport ministry and a shipping agency said on Tuesday. "The traffic at Dardanelles was suspended for both directions on Tuesday at 18:45 (1545 GMT) hours due to the aircraft intervening in the forest fire in the region by safely taking water from the sea," Tribeca shipping agency said. The Dardanelles Strait, a narrow and historically significant passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea, serves as a vital shipping route for vessels travelling between Europe and Asia. "Tugboats are prepared to intervene if the fire approaches the seafront, providing additional support to the ongoing firefighting operations," the Transport Ministry said in a statement. Reporting by Ece Toksabay Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bill Berkrot Organizations: Tribeca, Transport Ministry, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Marmara, Turkish, Canakkale, Dardanelles, Europe, Asia

☆ Turkey begins rolling back costly FX-protected deposits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a reversal, the central bank now wants lenders to set a new goal of transitioning KKM accounts into regular lira accounts, in part by dissuading companies and individuals from renewing the KKM accounts. According to a separate decree in the Official Gazette, the central bank also raised lenders' reserve requirement ratios for FX deposits, further nudging customers into regular lira accounts. KKM accounts have since ballooned to some $117 billion, or 3.1 trillion lira, around a quarter of total bank deposits. To cover KKM depreciation costs, the central bank paid an estimated 300 billion lira ($11 billion) in June and July, when the lira plunged again. The central bank said the KKM move would "enforce macro financial stability by supporting lira deposits" and pledged more such steps.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tayyip Erdogan's, Erdogan, Hakan Kara, Jonathan Spicer, Azra, Deepa Babington, Frances Kerry Organizations: Turkish Lira, REUTERS, Rights, Official Gazette, Bilkent University, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Rights ANKARA

Analysts said it tests President Tayyip Erdogan's resolve to maintain good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has invited to Turkey this month to discuss resuming the UN-brokered deal that had protected grain exports from Ukraine. "Ankara's silence is strange but shows it is still counting on Putin to visit and return to the grain deal." It wants the West to accept some Russian demands, and for Russia to drop others, to restart Ukraine grain exports under UN and Turkish oversight. A Turkish defence ministry official, requesting anonymity, said Ankara was looking into the Black Sea raid but gave no more details. "Therefore Erdogan should negotiate and try to convince Western countries, not Putin, for the reinstatement of the grain deal," he said.

Persons: Mehmet Bey, Umit, Erdogan, Putin, NATO's, Tayyip Erdogan's, Vladimir Putin, Yoruk Isik, Grynspan, Sezer, Huseyin Hayatsever, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Coordination Centre, REUTERS, Ankara, Analysts, UN, Bosphorus Observer, United Nations Conference, Trade, Development, Thomson Locations: Yenikapi, Istanbul, Turkey, ISTANBUL, Ukraine, NATO, Moscow, Russia, Ankara, Odesa, Turkish, Palau, Russian

☆ German MP says she was detained in Turkey for social media posts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A German lawmaker said on Sunday she was detained for several hours when entering Turkey earlier this month based on social media posts she made in 2019, adding that she would still travel to Turkey and speak her mind about its government. Akbulut, a Turkey-born German citizen of Kurdish heritage, was released after making contact with the German foreign ministry, she said. It was not clear exactly what she was referring to, nor which social media posts she believed triggered the Turkish arrest warrant. The German embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Antalya were in contact with lawmaker, a source at the German foreign ministry told Reuters. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa in Berlin Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay in Ankara Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Goekay, Tayyip Erdogan's, Akbulut, Riham Alkousaa, Ros Russell Organizations: Linke, Kurdish, Turkish Parliamentary Group, Reuters, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Antalya, Turkish, Germany, Berlin, Ankara, Syria, Akbulut, United States

The biggest contribution to the sharp rise in the 2023 forecast came from forecasts deviations and a change in forecasting approach. "The central bank did not only provide an inflation forecast that is in line with economists predictions but... the emphasis in the report very much matched those of the market. We had not seen this from the central bank in many years. CENTRAL BANK INDEPENDENCEEconomists expect the policy rate to rise further to 25% by year-end, still leaving real rates negative. "Defining interest rate hikes as sufficient or insufficient can only be done after inspecting the intricacies of this holistic approach," she said.

Persons: Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan, Nilufer Sezgin, Sahap Kavcioglu, Erdogan, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Andrew Heavens, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Wall Street, CENTRAL, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Ankara

☆ Erdogan says Putin talks could lead to restoring Black Sea grain deal, media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, July 21 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his planned talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to restoration of the Black Sea grain initiative, and called on Western countries to consider Russia's demands, Turkish broadcasters reported on Friday. "I believe that by thoroughly discussing the matter with President Putin, we can ensure the continuation of this humanitarian effort," Erdogan added. Western countries say Russia has had no trouble selling food, which is exempt from financial sanctions. "We are aware that President Putin also has certain expectations from Western countries, and it is crucial for these countries to take action in this regard," Erdogan said. "I believe that, without prolonging the process, we will ensure the continuation of the Black Sea grain initiative.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Erdogan, Putin, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Jason Neely, Peter Graff Organizations: United, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkish, Gulf, Cyprus, Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow

The lira hit a record low of 26.9 against the U.S. currency, sliding from Monday's close of 26.3505. The central bank will announce its rate decision at 1100 GMT on Thursday. "News saying that the central bank's interest rate hike will be below market expectations is triggering the lira depreciation," said one trader. But June's hike was below expectations, with economists saying Erdogan's influence over the central bank limits how far they can go in tightening policy. Turkey's annual inflation surged to a 24-year high of 85.51% last October, mainly due to lira depreciation because of Erdogan's policy of low rates.

Persons: Abdulkadir Selvi, Tayyip Erdogan, Nevzat Devranoglu, Daren Butler, Christina Fincher Organizations: Hurriyet, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL

☆ Turkey increases fuel tax as it bolsters stretched budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, July 16 (Reuters) - Turkey raised tax on petrol on Sunday to help to fund a 1.12 trillion lira ($42.2 billion) increase to its 2023 budget after February's earthquakes and the May presidential election sent spending soaring. The wider deficit was largely because of increased spending ahead of May elections, when President Tayyip Erdogan was elected for a third term, as well as on rebuilding work after the earthquakes in southern Turkey. The earthquakes, which killed more than 50,000 people, are expected to cost Turkey more than $100 billion in total. In the latest step to strengthen the Treasury's cash reserves, the tax rate for gasoline was increased to 7.52 lira per litre from 2.52 lira ($0.1) while tax on diesel oil rose to 7.05 lira from 2.05 lira. The 1.12 trillion lira boost to Ankara's budget was approved by parliament on Saturday and follows various other recent tax increases among efforts to bolster government coffers, including a two percentage point increase to VAT.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ali Kucukgocmen, Diane Craft, David Goodman Organizations: stoke, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey

☆ Erdogan says he is in agreement with Putin that grain deal should be extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, July 14 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that he is in agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin that a deal allowing the Black Sea export of Ukraine grain should be extended. Speaking to reporters, Erdogan said that the deal will hopefully be extended from its current July 17 deadline as results of the efforts by the United Nations and Turkey. The European Commission is helping the United Nations and Turkey try to extend the grain deal and is open to "explore all solutions", a European Union spokesperson said on Thursday. The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion and blockade of Ukrainian ports. Ukraine and Russia are among the world's leading grain exporters.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Erdogan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Alison Williams Organizations: Black, United, European Commission, European Union, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Erdogan links Sweden's NATO membership to Turkey's EU accession
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's bid to join the EU has been frozen for years after membership talks were launched in 2005 under Erdogan's first term as prime minister. In a surprise change of tack, Erdogan on Monday linked Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey finally joining the EU. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Erdogan also said that an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia would ease Kyiv's NATO membership process.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's, Erdogan's, Erdogan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson Organizations: Union, NATO, EU, European Union, Kurdistan Workers Party, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Ankara, Turkey, Vilnius, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Stockholm, Madrid, United States, Russia

☆ Turkey lifts minimum wage by 34% to address inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, June 20 (Reuters) - Turkey raised monthly minimum wage by another 34% beginning on July 1, the government said on Tuesday, bringing it to a net 11,402 lira ($483) for the second half of the year in an effort to address soaring inflation. "The minimum wage assessment commission completed its work with an agreement between the workers and employers," Labour Minister Vedat Isikhan said in announcing the decision. Inflation is well above the official 5% target and touched a 24-year peak of 85.5% in October, prompting Ankara to raise the minimum wage by 100% over the course of last year. Annual inflation dipped to 39.6% in May as the government provided natural gas free of charge, offsetting price rises in other goods. The central bank is holding its policy-setting meeting on Thursday and is expected to start ramping up its rate from 8.5% currently.

Persons: Vedat Isikhan, stoked, Tayyip Erdogan, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: Labour, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Ankara

☆ Turkey won't back Swedish NATO bid unless it stops anti-Turkish protests -Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Erdogan made his comments before officials from Turkey, Sweden, Finland and NATO met on Wednesday in Ankara for talks to try to overcome Turkish objections that have delayed Sweden's NATO membership bid. In justifying its objections to Swedish membership, Turkey has accused Stockholm of harbouring members of Kurdish militant groups it considers to be terrorists. On the day he was having talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this month, a similar protest was held in Stockholm, Erdogan said. He added that he also told Stoltenberg Sweden should prevent such actions to secure Turkey's approval for its NATO membership. After meeting Erdogan, Stoltenberg said a deal on Sweden joining the alliance could be reached before the NATO summit in Vilnius next month.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Nick Macfie, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NATO, Wednesday, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Sweden, Ankara, Turkey, Stockholm, Azerbaijan, Finland, Hungary, Madrid, extraditions, Stoltenberg Sweden, Vilnius

Erdogan spoke as officials from Turkey, Sweden, Finland and NATO met on Wednesday in Ankara for talks to try to overcome Turkish objections holding up Sweden's NATO membership bid. The parties agreed to continue working on the "prospective concrete steps" for Sweden's NATO membership, the statement said. In justifying its objections to Swedish membership, Turkey has accused Stockholm of harbouring members of Kurdish militant groups it considers to be terrorists. While he was having talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this month, a similar protest was held in Stockholm, Erdogan said. He added that he also told Stoltenberg Sweden should prevent such actions to secure Turkey's approval for its NATO membership.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Umit, Erdogan, Oscar Stenstrom, Stenstrom, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Huseyin Hayatsever, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander, Niklas Pollard, Daren Butler, Nick Macfie, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, Wednesday, Turkish, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, ANKARA, Sweden, Stockholm, Azerbaijan, Finland, Madrid, Ukraine, Hungary, extraditions, Stoltenberg Sweden, Vilnius

☆ Erdogan sees swift steps from new finance minister but says his own monetary views unchanged
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Some of our friends should not be mistaken, such as (asking) 'Is our president going for a serious change in interest rate policies?'" "But upon the thinking of our treasury and finance minister, we have accepted that he will take steps swiftly, comfortably with the central bank," Erdogan said. Analysts at leading investment banks now expect Turkey's central bank to start ramping up rates at its monetary policy committee meeting on June 22. Erdogan said he told the new central bank governor about his expectations. "God willing, neither our finance minister nor our central bank governor will embarrass us and I think we will hopefully obtain positive results."

Persons: Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Simsek, Orhan Coskun, Nevzat Devranoglu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Peter Graff Organizations: stoke, Authorities, Wall Street, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Azerbaijan, Turkish, Ankara

☆ Blast at explosives factory in Ankara kills five workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, June 10 (Reuters) - Five workers have been killed in a blast that rocked an explosives factory in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Saturday, Turkey's defence ministry said in a statement. The blast occurred at the MKE Rocket and Explosives Factory some 40 km (25 miles) outside Ankara. Ankara governor Vasip Sahin told reporters there were no more workers trapped, waiting to be rescued, or hospitalized. Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vasip Sahin, Alex Richardson Organizations: Explosives Factory, Ece, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkish, Ankara

☆ Turkish cenbank data shows $3 bln inflow from abroad -bankers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nevzat Devranoglu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, June 8 (Reuters) - Turkish central bank reserves data shows inflows of about $3 billion into depo accounts last week from abroad, bankers said on Thursday. The central bank did not comment when asked about the matter by Reuters. Four bankers contacted by Reuters calculated that there was between $3 and $3.1 billion deposited into the accounts. Before being re-elected to office on May 28, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Gulf states had sent funding to Turkey, briefly helping relieve the central bank and markets. The central bank's net international reserves hit an all-time low of negative $5.7 billion as of June 2, data showed on Thursday, with demand having surged through the elections.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Nevzat Devranoglu, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer, Emelia Organizations: Reuters, United Arab, Ece, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkish, Turkey, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, China, South Korea

☆ Turkey's Erdogan appoints spokesperson Kalin as intelligence chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, June 5 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan appointed his spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin as the head of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) on Monday, Erdogan's communications office said. Hakan Fidan, who had been Turkey's intelligence chief since 2010, was appointed foreign minister on Saturday. Kalin is a long-term confidant of Erdogan and has served as the spokesperson for the presidency and been a foreign policy adviser for the president since 2014. Kalin holds a Ph.D. from George Washington University on Islamic studies and was one of the founders of SETA, a pro-government think tank based in Ankara. Kalin has taken the lead on several diplomatic efforts in recent years, shaping Turkey's foreign policy agenda.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ibrahim Kalin, Hakan Fidan, Erdogan, Kalin, Mark Porter Organizations: National Intelligence Agency, MIT, George Washington University, SETA, Ece, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Ankara

☆ Factbox: Turkey's new government: key figures in Erdogan's cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following are descriptions of key figures in the cabinet:MEHMET SIMSEK - FINANCE MINISTERFormer economy chief Simsek has been appointed as treasury and finance minister. He was highly regarded by financial markets when he served as finance minister and deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2018. HAKAN FIDAN - FOREIGN MINISTERFidan was appointed as foreign minister, replacing Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was one of the longest serving top Turkish diplomats. ALI YERLIKAYA - INTERIOR MINISTERAli Yerlikaya was appointed as interior minister and replaced Suleyman Soylu, who kept his position since 2018. Yerlikaya, 55, served as governor of provinces of Gaziantep, Tekirdag, Agri and Sirnak before.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, MEHMET SIMSEK, Simsek, Merrill Lynch, HAKAN FIDAN, Fidan, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Erdogan, YASAR, Yasar Guler, Hulusi Akar, CEVDET YILMAZ, Cevdet Yilmaz, Ali Yerlikaya, Suleyman Soylu, Yerlikaya, Burcu Karakas, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: FINANCE, U.S, Embassy, National Intelligence Organisation, MIT, Turkish Army, Turkish Development and Cooperation Agency, Kurdistan Workers Party, AK, Turkish, Commission, ALI, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Ankara, Oslo, Syria, Iraq, Istanbul, Yerlikaya, Gaziantep, Tekirdag

☆ Opposition Turkish TV probed for 'insulting' election coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Election officials count votes during the second round of the presidential election, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, May 28, 2023. President Tayyip Erdogan extended his two-decade rule in the second round of the election on Sunday. His rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said it was "the most unfair election in years" but did not dispute the outcome. RTUK penalised four television stations in March for their election coverage. International rights groups and Turkish opposition parties have accused the RTUK of attempting to silence opposition media as a tool of the government.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, RTUK, Gurkan Ozturan, Burcu Karakas, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Radio, Television Supreme, Borders, Media, European Centre for Press, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Diyarbakir, Turkey, Sertac, ANKARA, Turkish, Istanbul, Ankara

☆ Turkey's Erdogan: rates have fallen, inflation will also fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, May 29 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in his victory speech on Sunday that inflation was the most urgent issue for the country, but said it would also fall, following the policy rate that was cut to 8.5% from 19% two years ago. "We are designing an economy focused on investment and employment, with a finance management team that has international reputation," Erdogan told his supporters at his palace in Ankara. Erdogan extended his two decades in power in elections on Sunday, winning a mandate to pursue increasingly authoritarian policies which have polarised Turkey and strengthened its position as a regional military power. Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A child walks at a polling station while people attend voting during the second round of the presidential election in Istanbul, Turkey May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKayANKARA/ISTANBUL, May 28 (Reuters) - Here are some views from Turkish citizens as the country voted on Sunday in an election runoff that may extend President Tayyip Erdogan's rule into a third decade or see a transfer of power to his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Nobody can deny this," said housewife Songul Aslan, 45, after voting for Erdogan. In Diyarbakir, largest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast:"In the first round I voted for Kilicdaroglu for the presidency. Change is essential to overcome the economic crisis and problems that Turkey faces, so I voted for Kilicdaroglu again.

But he fell just short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff, in a race with profound consequences for Turkey itself and global geopolitics. His camp has struggled to regain momentum after the shock of trailing Erdogan in the first round. A closely-watched survey by pollster Konda for the runoff put support for Erdogan on 52.7% and Kilicdaroglu on 47.3% after distributing undecided voters. [1/5] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a rally, ahead of the May 28 presidential runoff vote, in Istanbul, Turkey May 27, 2023. Erdogan has fused religious and national pride, offering voters an aggressive anti-elitism," said Nicholas Danforth, Turkey historian and non-resident fellow at think tank ELIAMEP.

☆ Erdogan rival pledges to repatriate all refugees before Turkey runoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Kemal Kilicdaroglu, presidential candidate of Turkey's main opposition alliance, speaks during a press conference ahead of the May 28 runoff vote, in Ankara, Turkey May 18, 2023. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, won 45% support in Sunday's vote while Erdogan got 49.5%, falling just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff vote. Kilicdaroglu's latest comments came amid expectations that a third candidate in the presidential race would announce his decision for the runoff. Sinan Ogan, a nationalist politician endorsed by an anti-refugee party obtained 5.2%, which made him a kingmaker in the runoff vote. "I am announcing here: I will send all refugees back home once I am elected as president, period," he added.

Long stuck in the shadow of Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party (AKP), opposition leader Kilicdaroglu has flourished on the campaign trail with polls showing he has a slight lead. Kilicdaroglu said a fundamental problem of Turkey's foreign policy during the tenure of Erdogan's AKP was the exclusion of the foreign ministry in the policy making process. 'PEACE-ORIENTED FOREIGN POLICY'"We would pursue a peace-oriented foreign policy that prioritises Turkey's national interest. Before entering politics, Kilicdaroglu worked in the finance ministry and then chaired Turkey's Social Insurance Institution for most of the 1990s. A year after losing a mayoral run in Istanbul, he was elected unopposed as party leader in 2010.

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